OTTAWA –
The Canadian Medical Association says health spending should be better monitored following health care agreements the federal government signed with provinces and territories.
The doctors’ group has released a new report calling for greater commitment to pursuing improvements in delivery and patient outcomes, citing the complexity of the business.
The report highlights gaps in the agreements, such as that no province or territory has set targets for eliminating emergency room closures.
The medical association wants to establish a national health commissioner to focus on tracking progress and reporting on the efficiency of health spending.
Last year, Ottawa announced $196 billion in funding over 10 years to improve access to health care, about $45 billion of which was new money.
Provinces and territories were asked to improve data sharing and measure progress in return for funds. In March, Quebec became the last province to sign up.
The association says the report found that five provinces and territories had no targets for electronic access to health data and seven had no targets for information sharing.
It states that “all levels of government are encouraged to adopt proven solutions to ensure that this historic level of funding actually transforms our healthcare system.”
The group says more than 6.5 million Canadians do not have a primary care doctor, “the surgical backlog remains significant and the lack of human health resources is overwhelming.”
Association President Joss Reimer said in a statement: “Improved accountability is critical to successfully implementing lasting change in our health care system.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 9, 2024.
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